1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical waste disposal system and, in particular, to a disposal system used to destroy and decontaminate infectious medical sharps. The present invention also relates to a method of managing infectious or hazardous medical waste.
2. Description of Related Art
The problems attendant to the destruction and decontamination of medical waste, such as needles, syringes, vials, plastic blood bags, plastic tubes, etc. are formidable. Medical waste presents problems not only because sharps such as needles and syringes are hazardous and difficult to destroy, but also because the waste may be contaminated with viral and bacterial pathogens.
The prevalent practice in the medical community for the disposal of medical waste is to throw the waste into specially sealed containers labeled as hazardous waste. A disposal service periodically collects the containers and dumps the containers into huge disposal machines. The disposal machines incinerate or pulverize and sterilize the waste for deposit in a landfill. Unscrupulous disposal services, however, have previously illegally dumped unprocessed medical waste into the ocean or landfills, contaminating the environment.
In an effort to curtail illegal dumping of medical waste, the United States Congress enacted the Medical Waste Tracking Act, which became effective in 1989. The Medical Waste Tracking Act requires medical waste generators (i.e., persons or entities producing medical waste) to segregate waste at their point of origin and package sharps (e.g., syringes, needles, glass vials, etc.) into rigid, puncture-resistant, leak-resistant containers in order to transport the materials off-site. Generators must also label the untreated waste as medical waste, and most generators must track (i.e., maintain a written record of) the disposal process of the waste from the point of origin to the final disposal site.
Because of the onerous tracking procedures imposed by the Medical Waste Tracking Act and because of the considerable expense associated with disposal of medical waste, especially sharps, various devices for on-site destruction of used sharps have been developed. These devices typically grind or otherwise reduce medical sharps into small pieces and direct the fragments into a receptacle for disposal. For examples, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,531,437, issued to Szablak, et al.; 4,889,290, issued to Koffsky, et al.; 4,971,261, issued to Solomons; 4,984,748, issued to Kimura; and 5,025,994, issued to Maitlen, et al.
In addition, disposal devices have been developed which purport to decontaminate as well as destroy the medical waste. For examples, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,619,409, issued to Harper, et al.; 4,884,756, issued to Pearson; 4,889,290, issued to Koffsky, et al.; 4,971,261, issued to Solomons; and 5,025,994, issued to Maitlen, et al. Medical waste which has been destroyed and decontaminated on-site can subsequently be disposed as ordinary refuse, thereby reducing the costs associated with off site disposal services. The prior disposal systems, however, suffer from several drawbacks.
Many prior disposal systems waste decontaminant, often using more decontaminant than is required to adequately disinfect the medical waste. For instance, the disposal devices disclosed in the Koffsky, et al., and Solomons patents direct both the processed waste and the decontaminant into disposable receptacles. The excess decontaminant fluid discarded with the medical waste increases the expense of medical waste disposal and may pollute ground water when disposed in landfills.
Further, many prior disposal systems do not adequately safeguard the system operators, requiring at least some human contact after introducing the medical waste. For instance, the disposal systems disclosed in the Kimura, Harper et al. and Pearson patents use permanent waste bins which must be periodically emptied. The Szablak, et al. and Koffsky, et al. patents disclose devices which require the handlers of the medical waste to deposit the waste in the disposer unit. Such disposal systems are particularly unsuitable for institutional applications where relatively unskilled workers are employed to operate the disposal system. Consequently, prior disposal systems present potentially liability issues and may not adequately safeguard the operators from the infectious medical waste being processed.
Thus, a need exists for a waste disposal apparatus and management system which efficiently, ergonomically and cost-effectively reduces contaminated medical sharps to unrecognizable, ordinary waste for disposal.